Wyss Foundation Creates $102 Million Institute to Study Climate Change and Biodiversity (Grants Roundup)

By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions

The Wyss Foundation’s $102 million gift to the University of Bern, in Switzerland, will establish a global research center to study biodiversity losses that are linked to climate change. Getty Images

December 18, 2019 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Here are notable new grant awards compiled by the Chronicle:

Wyss Foundation

$102 million to the University of Bern, in Switzerland, to establish the Wyss Academy for Nature, a global research center that will study biodiversity losses that are linked to climate change.

Azrieli Foundation

$18 million to Yeshiva University in support of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration and to augment undergraduate scholarships.

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

$13.8 million to the Flint Public Library for renovations. The Ruth Mott Foundation is also contributing $1 million to the renovation project.

Bloomberg Philanthropies

$12 million to the Partnership for Healthy Cities to expand the number of cities participating in the program from 54 to 70. New cities include Athens, Dakar, Hanoi, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Tokyo, and Vancouver.

John A. Hartford Foundation

$6 million over four years to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to expand the reach of its Age-Friendly Health Systems Initiative into 2,500 U.S. hospitals and health practices as well as 100 nursing homes and other outpatient care centers.

Rockefeller Foundation

$3.5 million to All On to establish a facility that will enable off-grid energy entrepreneurs to provide sustainable, low-cost electricity throughout Nigeria.

ECMC Foundation

$3.1 million over three years to seven organizations through its Basic Needs Initiative to address issues including food and housing security, child care, mental health, financial assistance, and transportation for postsecondary students.

Cognizant U.S. Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies, and Walmart.org

$3 million to CodePath.org to offer a computer-science curriculum specifically to include women and students of color who are studying and pursuing careers in technology at 150 college campuses.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

$1 million to the National Audubon Society for three projects to enhance coastal wildlife habitats in California, New York, and North Carolina and protect them from the effects of climate change.

SRC

$1 million to the State University of New York at Oswego to endow a professorship in its engineering program.

New Grant Opportunity

The Lilly Endowment is accepting proposals for grants through its Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities program, which has set aside $108.2 million to improve higher education in Indiana. Eligible organizations can apply for implementation grants of $1 million to up to $5 million, or large-scale grants worth up to $10 million. Proposals for implementation grants and concept papers for large-scale grants are due April 15, 2020.

Send grant announcements to grants.editor@philanthropy.com.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy subscribers also have full access to GrantStation’s searchable database of grant opportunities. For more information, visit our grants page.

M.J. Prest has been writing about major gifts, grant making, and executive moves for the Chronicle since 2004. Email M.J.

About the Author

M.J. Prest

Senior Editor, Solutions

M.J. Prest is senior editor for solutions at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where she highlights how nonprofit leaders navigate and overcome major challenges. She has covered stories on big gifts, grant making, and executive moves for the Chronicle since 2004. Her work has also appeared in the Washington Post, Slate.com, and the Huffington Post, and she wrote the young-adult novel Immersion. M.J. graduated from Williams College and after living in many different places, she settled in New England with her husband, two kids, and two rescue dogs.